Specialized movers ease the stress of downsizing

The phone rings a little more often at Gero Solutions around the holidays, and the callers are sons and daughters.

"They're visiting and they're saying, 'Mom is different now that I'm back in her house rather than on the phone,'" said Gloria Bersani, director at the Arlington Heights-based company. "Families will intervene, and that does happen more around the holiday time."

Gero Solutions is one of the more than 750 companies in the growing industry of senior-move management, firms hired by older adults and their families to make the move from their longtime homes less stressful.

It's a growing industry, and with the aging of the baby boomer generation, one that has demographics on its side. Occupancy at senior housing properties was at a four-year high of almost 90 percent at the end of September, nudged higher by a lack of new projects. But as the economy and housing market slowly improve, new construction is anticipated, and it's expected that seniors will again start thinking of downsizing voluntarily.

Even during the economic downturn, companies were hearing from seniors and their families whose decision to move was based on need vs. desire.

"We've seen it already," said Mary Kay Buysse, executive director of the National Association of Senior Move Managers, which formed 10 years ago with just 22 members. "It's exploding even more. There's going to be amazing movement."

The companies aren't cleaning services, they aren't organizers, and they aren't for everyone. Most companies charge by the hour, with rates ranging from $40 to $125 an hour. Many senior move managers have backgrounds in health care and gerontology.

Clients include seniors who are overwhelmed by the prospect of downsizing and don't want to burden family members and family members who don't have the time or live close enough to handle the projects themselves. Regardless of who's paying the bills, senior move managers say their customer is the senior.

Frequently referred by senior living communities and real estate agents, move managers act as general contractors, hiring the movers and contacting the utility companies, sorting through belongings, sending extra possessions off to charities and facilitating the transition into a new, and likely smaller, home. They also act as confidants and sometimes have to play the role of "bad cop" because a home filled with possessions is a home filled with memories.

Some seniors relish the idea of cleaning out, giving things to family members, friends and charities and embracing a less complicated lifestyle, move managers say. Others do not.

"It can be incredibly hard," said Marnie Dawson, of Dawson Relocation Services in Chicago. "It's an emotional process, talking through family history, through memories. Sometimes a dining room hutch is the most important thing in the house. It might be the biggest piece, but we have to repurpose it."

Next year, the association plans to launch an accreditation program to maintain standards for the industry.

Until then, Buysse suggests seniors and their families interview prospective firms to find a good fit because of the personal nature of the business relationship. Some offer initial consultations for free.

"The senior move manager has access to the most intimate parts of someone's life," she said. "Ask them what their role is in the move. Will they be on-site during the job? Are they involved in any continuing education? Do they have liability insurance? How do they charge? Do they provide a written contract? And you always want references."